At the District Development Committee Meeting held in Jaffna, on Monday the Chief Minister of the Northern Province, C.V. Wigneswaran charged that the Central Government was holding on to powers that should be vested in the Northern Provincial Council.

C.V. Wigneswaran expressed the following views at the meeting.

“Some matters are clear for us to see at present. The government has not enacted national policies to fulfill the needs of the people of the Northern Province who were affected by the war. The government’s policies are being implemented in a fashion that meets the needs of the ruling party, its hierarchy and officials. “

He noted: “The government is acting under the impression today that people in areas under the purview of the provincial council, must only obtain services from the Central Government. From October 2013 to january 2014, we proposed to the government that we could work together on this. On the second of January this year, I met with the President for this purpose. ”

“I explained to him the shortcomings in the implementation of the 13th Amendment to the constitution. I explained to the President that even if we do not receive the powers vested in us through the 13th Amendment, we would support the people who have been affected by the war. I made a request that the affairs of the Presidential Task Force in the Northern Province, be entrusted to elected representatives in the Northern Provincial Council.”

He also added: “Unfortunately, the President is yet to make a decision in our favour. What has transpired instead? Instead of respecting the democratic right of the people, the Central Government is holding on to powers that should be granted to the Northern Provincial Council. I must mention that as per the constitution of this country. administration is divided between the Central Government and the Provincial Councils. Development ,eetings like this are organised to discuss these matters. We cannot allow for the Central Government to act to keep powers that are by law vested in the Provincial Council, through these meetings.”